Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-01-28
Overheard IN q Gale.

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q company OF old sea captains were
gathered at Unions grocery awaiting
The arrival Of the mail during the late
storm. The boat was late in starting
out that morning. and all knew it's ar
rival would be quite delayed: and
some time elapse before the mail was
ready for distribution, so, adjusting
his quid, one Of the captains remark
ed on the height OF the waves then
laundering on the beach, which led the
conversation into the height of waves
of Cape Horn and the Cape of Good
Hope. Each one in turn told what he
regarded the biggest yarn, when one of
the old salts, after making a dead
shot" into the middle of the spittoon,
said
II saw a. wave once off Cape Good
Hope. We were a scuddin' before the
wind in heavy gale. I was standin'
aft when the ship went off, and could
see the next wave as high as the bow
lin crinkle ofthe topsel." Thisroused
the fourth and Oldest sailor of the
party, who, having adjusted his quid
on the port side, related the following
thrilling and wonderful incident:
"ln the year 1857 was in the good
ship Minstrel, homeward bound from
India and just of the Cape of Good
Hope an accident happened l shall
never forget. For several days we
had blowing and gloomy weather, and
to add to the gloom my steward WAS
taken crazy and had him below in
irons. put in his place the cabin boy,
q bright lad who had shipped with me,
He belonged to Cleveland, O..
We were beating by the cape, with
wind southwest, blowing g. gale. I
was i'll my room preparing for break
last about 7:3O, when Iheard the cry:
Man overboard!' You all know who
| have been on the water the feelin'
when one OF our little number steps
out with so short g notice. My first
thought was, 1t is brother Henry
sor all sailors have a superstition
that when two brothers sail on q ship
but one will come home alive. Twas
on deck in an instant, but every man
! In the ship was there before me and
had thrown overheard anything they
thought would help save the man,
but these were Of no advantage to a
good swimmer, and would only has
ten the drowning of q man no couldn't
swim.
ut appears that the cabin-boy
had gone to the cook house for the
breakfast, and the ship at that un-
ucky moment went down into Que
| ot the heavy seas which swept the
decks and took him ever the side. I
reached the deck just in time to see
him pass the quarter, and it seemed
70 me / never saw the ship fly through
the water so swiftly. The boy was
; brave, cool lad, and could see that
be was battling manfully with the
waves. No boat could live in snch q
sea, and there was but one chance in
q thousand to save him; that was to
tack ship. OF course this depended
on the boys keepin' above the waves.
s"ro wear around would bring the
ship so far to le'ward OF the boy that
no human aid could save him. There
was no time to think much, so I gave
the order: Bout ship every man to
his station Sailors you know, are
quick to feel, and in cases like this are
quick to act. l was proud of my ship,
and felt that she had no superior and
but few equals in her sailn' qualities,
but being under short sail and high
sea was very much against US. How.
ever, l watched for q smooth time,
and, as by magic, she came up and
went around. went up the mizzen
riggin', and could see where the boy or
HIS hat was by the large flock of cape
pigeons flying over him as they do
when anything is thrown from the
ship. Being now to windward OF him
we could shape our course direct for
him, but how to GET near enough to
catch him in passing and not let the
ship strike him was the next problem
to solve. While standin' on the rail
and guidin' the ship it occurred to me
that If the boy was weak he could not
hold on to q rope if it reached him.
SO ordered number OF men to be
put over the side secured by strong
ropes fastened to the mast dashed to
the waist of the ship. You know,
Mr.. Linton, that me1 chantmen al
ways carry spars dashed securely to
the side, so hoped these men could
catch him as the ship passed. l
called out in a firm voice. Boys don't
you miss him. and they knew from
| the way said 1t meant it. He was
now drawing near, and the ship flying
over the water. The man in the fore
chains missed him, then the next man
md the next, and an audible groan
went up from every one. The fourth
man in the mizzen chains was strong
bright fellow, and with my heart in my
throat saw him place his feet against
the ships side and push himself of
from the ship just as the boy came up
on u wave. Saved! hurrahed the men,
us they hauled him on board. Now,
on know it took q great deal OF
1reneth for that young man to catch
and hold the boy as fast as the ship
was going through the water. The
boy, after getting on deck shook him.
SELF and quietly remarked, 4 declare,
Eve lost my hat a ten-cent hat he
had bought in Penang.
II busted myself the next quarter OF
an hour in getting the ship round and
on her course again, and saw that
Everything was snug, when up came
| the boy and said: breakfast is ready
sir was astonished. 1 supposed
1.-The boy, who had been in the water
near an hour was in charge of the
officer below, rolling him on q barrel
to get the water out OF him and rub
hinu him with Aannelc and for. q ,xoaL,